- WheelMates all collectibles requires searching side routes beyond the main puzzle path.
- Best route: explore each room, unlock gadgets, then revisit earlier areas for gated discoveries.
- Two-player rule: keep both RC cars nearby because optional paths may require coordinated actions.
- Completion target: combine exploration, secrets, story progress, and the Steam achievement list.
- Cleanup method: record missed rooms and return after new abilities change your available routes.
WheelMates all collectibles: What Counts Toward Completion
WheelMates is a two-player RC car adventure set inside Professor Bloom's oversized house. The available material confirms several types of optional content, including secret areas, alternate paths, gadget-gated routes, vertical exploration, and post-progression discoveries. However, an item-by-item collectible catalog is not confirmed here, so this guide avoids inventing collectible names or unsupported totals.
For practical completion planning, treat every nonessential discovery as part of your collection sweep. A strong run combines the main route with side exploration instead of rushing from one required puzzle to the next. This approach also helps with the Steam achievement objectives associated with story progress, secrets, optional exploration, and broader completion.
The main story is expected to take about six hours, while a more thorough exploration run may take about eight hours. Your actual time can vary depending on driving precision, puzzle coordination, and how often you revisit earlier areas.
| Completion Category | What to Search For | Best Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Story progression | Major areas and required co-op puzzles | First visit |
| Secret areas | Hidden or less obvious spaces | First visit and cleanup |
| Alternate paths | Routes away from the direct objective | First visit |
| Gadget-gated paths | Areas requiring later abilities | After unlocking gadgets |
| Vertical routes | Elevated furniture, platforms, and unusual surfaces | When movement allows |
| Co-op access routes | Optional paths requiring both RC cars | With both players present |
| Steam achievements | Story, exploration, secrets, and other objectives | Throughout the run |
The available information confirms exploration categories but does not provide a reliable item count or complete collectible list. Use location-based tracking rather than relying on an invented number.
Main Route
Follow the required path first, but inspect nearby corners before activating the next major objective.
Secret Areas
Search spaces that sit outside the obvious puzzle route, especially around large household objects.
Gadget Gates
Mark blocked routes and return after unlocking abilities such as Rope Swing, Magnetic Wheels, or Magnet Grab.
Co-op Access
Check areas where one car can manipulate the environment while the other car moves through.
Room-by-Room Search Method
A reliable collection sweep starts with a consistent search pattern. Professor Bloom's house is intentionally oversized from the perspective of the RC cars, so ordinary furniture and household spaces can hide routes above, below, or behind the most visible objective.
Do not assume that the first open path is the only useful route. Before leaving an area, examine the floor-level route, nearby elevated surfaces, gaps, side spaces, and objects that appear designed for interaction. If a route looks possible but requires an ability you do not have, mark it for later instead of repeatedly attempting the same maneuver.
Use the following room-clear method whenever you enter a new section:
Locate the Progression Route
Identify the path, switch, traversal point, or environmental interaction that advances the current objective. Do not activate it immediately if nearby side paths have not been checked.
Sweep the Lower Area
Drive around furniture, corners, gaps, and objects near the main route. Look for spaces that are not required to continue but appear intentionally accessible.
Check Elevated Routes
Inspect platforms, household surfaces, ramps, and vertical approaches. Jumping and careful positioning may reveal an optional line that is easy to miss from floor level.
Test Available Gadgets
Try the relevant ability on unusual surfaces and objects. Magnetic Wheels, Magnet Grab, and Rope Swing can change how a previously blocked route works.
Record Anything Blocked
If a route needs later progression or another gadget, note its location and move on. Return during the cleanup pass rather than losing time on an early obstacle.
| Search Pass | Questions to Ask | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Objective pass | Where does the required route continue? | Main progression identified |
| Side-route pass | Is there a nearby path that does not advance the objective? | Optional discovery candidate |
| Vertical pass | Can the cars reach furniture, platforms, or elevated surfaces? | Height-based route checked |
| Gadget pass | Does a new ability interact with the area? | Current access confirmed |
| Co-op pass | Does one player need to operate something for the other? | Two-car route tested |
| Cleanup pass | Did later progression make this area more accessible? | Previously blocked route revisited |
When a side path seems unclear, first identify where it could lead. Then inspect nearby ramps, magnetic surfaces, gaps, or interactable objects that might connect the cars to that destination.
Gadgets and Locked Collectible Routes
Gadgets are central to exploration because they expand how the RC cars move through and interact with the house. They should be treated as collection tools as well as progression mechanics. Whenever a new ability appears, test it in the current room and remember earlier locations that contained unusual surfaces or unreachable openings.
The confirmed ability categories include Rope Swing, Magnetic Wheels, Magnet Grab, and additional unlockable gadgets. Their exact collection use depends on the obstacle, but each one suggests a different search question.
| Gadget | Primary Function | Collection Search Cue |
|---|---|---|
| Rope Swing | Cross gaps and reach distant positions | Look for open spaces, suspended routes, and separated platforms |
| Magnetic Wheels | Navigate compatible magnetic surfaces | Recheck walls, angled surfaces, and routes beyond normal floor driving |
| Magnet Grab | Pull or manipulate compatible objects | Search for movable objects that can change a partner's route |
| Other unlockable gadgets | Expand traversal and interaction options | Revisit earlier blocked paths after progression |
Use gadgets with your partner rather than testing them independently. Some optional areas may depend on one player changing the environment while the other car takes advantage of the opening. If both players are standing in the same place, a puzzle may appear inactive even though the solution requires separate positioning.
After unlocking an ability, revisit your notes from earlier rooms. Pay special attention to gaps, strange surfaces, unreachable objects, and routes that looked deliberately placed but could not yet be used.
A useful ability review includes:
- Which surfaces can the gadget affect?
- Can the ability reach across a gap or around an obstacle?
- Does the interaction move an object for the second player?
- Can both RC cars use the route, or must they take different positions?
- Does the new ability create a shortcut to an optional area?
Keep cosmetic customization separate from gameplay upgrades. Colors, wheels, antennas, horns, and Supporter Pack options change the appearance or personality of the cars. They do not replace the traversal gadgets used for exploration and puzzle solving.
| Upgrade Type | Affects Exploration? | How to Handle It |
|---|---|---|
| Traversal gadget | Yes | Add blocked routes to your revisit list |
| Interaction gadget | Yes | Test nearby movable or magnetic objects |
| Cosmetic color | No | Collect or equip for appearance only |
| Cosmetic wheels | No confirmed route effect | Do not treat as a progression key |
| Antenna or horn | No | Track as customization, not traversal access |
Secrets, Alternate Paths, and Cleanup Route
The most effective all-collectibles strategy is a two-pass system. During the first pass, collect discoveries that are immediately accessible while maintaining story progress. During the second pass, return to earlier rooms with additional gadgets and a clearer understanding of how the house connects.
This avoids two common problems: spending too long trying to force an unavailable route, and forgetting where a blocked path was located. A short note such as “elevated gap near the previous puzzle” or “magnetic surface behind furniture” is enough to create a useful cleanup target.
Collection Sweep Checklist:
- Inspect side routes before completing the room's main objective
- Check elevated household surfaces and unusual platforming lines
- Mark blocked paths that require a later gadget
- Test optional routes with both RC cars
- Revisit earlier areas after major progression milestones
Organize discoveries by location rather than by an unsupported global count. The house's oversized scale makes familiar spaces easy to overlook, particularly when a secret route sits above the normal driving line or behind an object that is not needed for the story.
| Discovery Type | First-Pass Action | Cleanup Action |
|---|---|---|
| Off-route space | Enter if accessible without abandoning the objective | Confirm no unexplored branch remains |
| Gadget-gated path | Record the obstacle and nearby landmark | Return with the relevant gadget |
| Co-op route | Position one car near the interaction and one near the opening | Repeat with deliberate role assignments |
| Vertical route | Test ramps, jumps, and elevated surfaces | Recheck with improved driving control |
| Alternate traversal line | Compare the obvious route with nearby approaches | Search for missed branches and hidden spaces |
When a room appears clear, use a final three-point scan:
- Face back toward the entrance and inspect the route you just used.
- Look for a second level, gap, or object outside the camera's initial view.
- Confirm that both players have reached the same progression state before leaving.
Record a nearby puzzle, piece of furniture, ramp, or traversal feature with every missed route. Location notes become much more useful when a large room contains several similar-looking corners.
For achievement cleanup, compare your progress against the Steam achievement list after the main story. The game has 21 listed Steam achievements according to the supplied game information, but the achievement conditions should be checked individually rather than treated as a direct collectible count.
Completion Planning and FAQ
A full completion attempt should balance story progress, exploration, gadget testing, and achievement cleanup. The main route provides context and unlocks new abilities, while optional exploration rewards players who inspect areas that the story does not require them to visit.
The official WheelMates website is the best place to check current game information and official media. The WheelMates Steam store page is useful for platform details, achievements, language support, and current store information.
| Playthrough Style | Recommended Focus | Expected Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Story-first run | Follow required puzzles and learn the controls | Fast familiarity with progression |
| Exploration run | Search every accessible side path | More secrets and alternate routes found |
| Gadget revisit run | Return after unlocking new abilities | Previously blocked areas become testable |
| Achievement cleanup | Review unfinished Steam objectives | Better end-of-run completion tracking |
Before moving to the next objective, ask where the second car should be positioned. This reduces missed co-op interactions and makes optional route testing faster.
Q: Does WheelMates have a confirmed total for all collectibles?
The available information confirms secrets, alternate paths, gadget-gated routes, and optional discoveries, but it does not provide a reliable item-by-item collectible total. Track locations and categories instead of using an unsupported number.
Q: What should I do when a collectible route is blocked?
Mark the route with a nearby landmark, continue progression, and return after unlocking a relevant gadget. Rope Swing, Magnetic Wheels, Magnet Grab, and later abilities can change access.
Q: Can I search for optional areas alone?
WheelMates is designed around two-player cooperation. Some exploration can be inspected individually, but keeping both RC cars available is the safer approach for routes involving switches, movable objects, or coordinated positioning.
Q: How do I combine collectibles with Steam achievements?
Complete the story, investigate side routes, revisit gadget-gated areas, and then compare unfinished objectives with the Steam achievement list. Optional discoveries and achievements overlap, but they should not be assumed to be identical.